Partners
by Night Rain Illusion
Summary: She may have forgotten me, but I will always remember her and our friendship. Even if I have to take these memories with me to the grave. Mystery Dungeon 2 fic. Mild Cessationshipping.


Based on the new Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time and Darkness. I absolutely loved Grovyle in the games and this is my tribute to him. Major spoilers for those not having completed the game. My eyes teared up while I was writing this. The main character, Grovyle's partner, is left nameless on purpose. My longest oneshot to date, and I am entertaining the idea of a sequel. I'm so sorry that it's long! I don't own Pokemon!

**Partners**

_"W-whoa!...__A-are...are you OK!?...__No! Don't let go! J__ust a little longer...Come on! Hang on!"_

_"N-n-no! I can't...hold on..."_

_And then she suddenly screamed as I felt her hand tear away from mine._

When I woke up in the past, I was in the very forest we had just left. Except that it in the past, it was called "Eastern Forest" rather than the gloomy name we had for it in the future. I looked around in wonder, at all the bright colors of the flowers and trees around me. But...

She was nowhere in sight. Where had she gone? After the attack...did...did she make it to the past? Or did something happen to her?

...No, I can't think that way. We have a mission to do here. I know she's around here somewhere...it's only a matter of time until we'll meet up and we can gather the Time Gears together.

An light orange glow suddenly casted over me. I looked up, intrigued as to what it was. I was surprised to see a rising orb in the sky, casting light and banishing the night.

It took me a minute to realize that it was the rising sun. Something I had never seen before due to the paralysis in the future.

It was...beautiful.

...I wonder if she saw it too...

As I watch the rising sun, my memories of the future begin to surface...of the things we had gone through just to get here...

Of when we first became...partners.

* * *

"Get back here!" came the shouts from behind me as I ran. I looked back and saw the Sableye drawing closer.

"Damnit!" I hissed, seeing them catch up to me. I turned a corner, hoping to lose them, but it didn't seem to deter them as they chased me through the mountains.

I was running because their leader, Dusknoir, wanted to catch anyone that seemed suspicious to his rule over the planet. It seemed I had suddenly appeared on his radar due to openly stating that someone should get rid of him. He considered it a threat and ordered his goons to catch me and bring me back to him so that I "learn to keep my mouth shut and my opinions to myself"

I felt a Shadow Ball graze my arm as it hit the rock wall on my left. I hissed in pain, slowing to check my arm. A burn was starting to mar my normal green color. Before I could continue onward, I felt another Shadow Ball slam into my back. I skidded on my knees and crumbled to the ground. I slowly sat up to see the four Sableye grinning down on me.

"I believe you should come with us. Our master wishes to see you." One snickered.

"I'd rather die than meet your master." I spat.

"Humph. As you wish." it spoke as two of its cohorts lifted their palms out toward me, their palms glowing as they prepared to Shadow Ball me at close range. I braced myself; this was going to hurt like hell.

I suddenly heard running footsteps coming toward me and an odd blur as someones arms wrapped themselves around my body and pulled me out of their line of attack. The Shadow Balls hit the wall behind me harmlessly, leaving a large dent in its surface. The Sableye looked around, confused.

"What was that?"

"Where did it go?"

They looked to the one Sableye that spoke before, the one that seemed to be acting as the current leader.

"...We need to find him. Dusknoir won't be pleased if we come back empty handed."

From where I was watching behind a tall rock, my back to my apparent savior, who still had their arms around me, we watched silently as the Sableye left, not daring to breathe. After a few minutes, I looked down at the arms around me. They were pale...too pale for a Pokemon...in fact...

They looked human.

The human slowly let go of me and I turned around to get a look at them. They were dressed in average clothes, jeans and a t-shirt I believe. They had long brown hair and the most...interesting blue eyes, to say the least. As if they were too deep.

But what threw me off guard was that the human was _female_...

Humans were a rare sight. Most of them got killed by Dusknoir, who considered humans as a threat to his empire. The humans that were left ended up going into hiding and rarely associated with Pokemon, if at all.

She slowly stood, dusting her jeans off. _"Well...I guess you don't have to worry about them coming after you anymore."_

Humans spoke differently than us Pokemon. We could understand them...but for some reason, humans had trouble understanding us, apart from the few gifted Pokemon that could communicate with the humans, like the gods or, unfortunately, Pokemon like Dusknoir.

She seemed nervous as she watched me. _"I've never seen a Grovyle before. My Mom mentioned them once before, but this is my first time actually seeing one."_

She seemed to lean forward a little, as if examining me. _"And...I have to say, you're kind of cute."_

I felt a dull blush creep up on my face as I looked away, annoyance evident in my expression. Even if the human had saved me, I didn't necessarily like them or trust them. She tilted her head to one side, watching me as she giggled. _"I guess you don't like being called that. Sorry then."_

She straightened up as she started to walk away. _"Don't try to get into trouble again, OK?" _she turned back to wave. I scoffed. Me? Getting into trouble? As a human, she should be more concerned about herself.

As she started to disappear into the brush, I grew a little worried. If Dusknoir or his minions spotted her, or if she got attacked by a wild Pokemon, there was no way she would be able to defend herself. I sighed, cursing a couple of deities as I quickly sprinted after her. When I caught up to her, she slowed, looking surprised.

_"What's wrong?" _she asked.

"You'll get killed, that's what." I stated flatly. She looked at me with a bewildered expression on her face, as if I was speaking a different language. (OK, to her, technically I was, but that's not the point) But from my demeanor, she seemed to have a vague idea of what I was trying to tell her.

_"Are you worried about me?" _she asked.

Yeah, worried that you'll die and I'll feel guilty about it. Humans, I swear...

She stared at me before offering a hand out to me as she gestured to the path ahead of her. _"Do you want to come with me? We could travel together if you want..."_

I sighed. Well, it's not like I have anything to do or anywhere to go. I'll just stay with her until I'm sure that she will be fine on her own. I nodded and she smiled.

* * *

One day, as we were resting in a clearing, she reached into her bag and pulled out two apples. _"Would you like one, Grovyle?"_

From where I was resting against a tree, I opened an eye to look at the apples, but I ended up staring in shock. She was holding out a Perfect Apple...one of the most...well, perfect, delicious apples known to Pokemon. It was believed that the apples had disappeared when the planet had been paralyzed, although a stray apple had been known to appear every now and then. I took it in a paw, turning it over, daring to believe that it was the real thing. Cautiously, I took a bite of it just to make sure.

It was the most tastiest food I had ever eaten. I must of had hearts for eyes as she giggled at my expression. _"You like it?"_

I nodded an affirmative as I took another bite. She stared at her own apple, a thoughtful expression on her face. _"From where we were living, my Mom had a whole bunch of them. She had a lot of pride in them and said that she might of had the only Perfect Apples on the planet. She had this way of preserving the apples so that they stayed fresh even longer than normal."_

But then she looked sad. _"But...Dusknoir attacked the small town where we were hiding. He took all the apples and all the humans had ran away. I don't know what happened to my Mom."_

I watched with interest as her fingernails seemed to dig into her apple ever so slightly. _"And the worst part is that I foresaw it all; I knew he was going to attack our town, but I didn't do anything to stop it."_

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'you foresaw it'?" I asked. Of course, it probably came out as something like _"Grovyle?" _to her due to the language barrier. But none the less, I think she could tell I was a little confused by her statement.

She looked over at me, fiddling with the apple in her hand. _"Oh right, I should explain that. Ever since I was young, I always had the strangest visions. Usually, they were the same...showing me an odd, glowing gear in the middle of the woods. Sometimes its just odd words, like 'destiny' or 'time'. And others are separate events, but somehow it feels like they are all related. Like the one of Dusknoir attacking our town. I used to tell people what I saw, but I stopped trying after no one would listen to me. I left the day before the town was attacked."_

She suddenly leaned forward toward me, a sad little smile on her lips as she put a finger to them_. "Hey Grovyle, do you want to know a secret?"_

I didn't know how to answer. Great, I was hanging out with a nut-job. But...she didn't sound like she was making this up. So I nodded, somewhat eager to know what her "secret was".

_"The day we met, I had a vision of you getting attacked by those Sableye. When I saw it, I knew that this time, I had to act. I have the feeling that somehow, me and you were supposed to meet that day, otherwise I wouldn't of had that vision."_

She sat back, watching my expression curiously. I must of looked stunned or something, because she looked down at her apple sheepishly before quietly taking a bite out of it. _"Sorry, but I'm a firm believer of destiny. Things happen for a reason. I think me being born with this gift and our meeting happened because it was intended to happen. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to."_

She continued eating as I looked down at my apple, thinking about what she had told me. I didn't know whether to believe her or not, but even if it wasn't true...

I would still stick with her for the time being.

* * *

It had been about a week later when I decided to introduce her to my friend Celebi.

Celebi was a legendary Pokemon that lived deep in a forest on the farthest side of the world from Dusknoir's empire. Normally, it was pretty safe except for the occasional wild Pokemon that lived in the forest. Celebi was very energetic and cheerful despite the ravages of the world...kind of like the human. However, Celebi was very wise. She was a time traveling Pokemon, and she would often tell tales of the past and what things used to be like before the paralysis and Dusknoir's reign.

And...she also had a crush on me. Maybe it was because we were good friends and she seemed to be the only person I could tell anything to and the same was for me as she could tell me anything she wanted. I may have been the only one to have ever seen her when she was depressed or lonely. Somehow, I had the feeling that she and the human would get along well enough, since Celebi could communicate with humans. And maybe I could leave the human with Celebi while I traveled some more on my own to find some way to bring Dusknoir down.

Strangely though, the idea of going back to being alone without the human companion around anymore made me feel a little...sad.

Anyway, I lead the human to Celebi's forest. As we approached its clearing, I noticed that the human didn't look at all surprised at being brought there. Maybe it was another one of her supposed "visions" or something.

A faint glow suddenly appeared in the middle of the forest as a small figure slowly faded into existence. Celebi blinked her large eyes a few times before looking around her surroundings. She soon spotted me, smiling widely and zipping closer.

_"My dear Grovyle! How good to see you again! I missed you!" _Celebi practically hugged me to death, which caused my human companion to laugh.

_"Looks like someone has a crush on you, Grovyle-"_

She suddenly cut off as she noticed Celebi staring at her. Celebi zoomed in close to her face, examining her with interest.

_"Whose your new friend, Grovyle? And a human, no less! Tee hee!" _

"A human I met a few weeks ago. She helped me out of a tight situation and I felt that I needed to return the favor." I explained. The human spoke up.

_"You're Celebi, right?" _she asked somewhat timidly.

Celebi smiled, nodding. _"That's right! How did you know that?"_

_"I uh...well...I had a vision about meeting you a day or two ago..."_

Celebi blinked her large eyes again with interest. _"A vision? Can you describe it to me? Or tell me a little bit more about your visions?"_

As she explained her visions to Celebi, I couldn't help but wonder why she didn't tell me that she had already had a vision about Celebi. Was there something she was keeping from me?

After she was finished, Celebi gave a little gasp, her eyes too big for her head. _"Oh my gosh! You...you..."_

Celebi suddenly turned to me, her wings flitting a mile a second. _"My dear Grovyle...you found it!"_

"Found what?" I asked, now very confused.

_"The human with the Dimensional Scream!"_

Dimensional Scream...? I looked over at the human, who also was confused.

"Which is...?"

_"A human that can see into the past and future! However_..." Celebi turned to the human_. "All the visions are connected to the Time Gears. Anything to do with the Time Gears will be what she sees. But she has to have someone that she trusts by her side."_

I stared at the human. How could I have found myself in company with a human with such an ability?

Was it...something that was supposed to happen?

Celebi suddenly looked much younger by a hundred years. _"If we have the Dimensional Scream on our side, then maybe there is a way to change things, to end the paralysis!"_

_"R-really? How?"_the human asked, her eyes wider than normal as well. I looked to Celebi too, wondering what she meant by that. Celebi suddenly looked nervous.

_"W-well...it's a long story..."_

* * *

Later that night, me and the human were leaning against a tree in front of a campfire. I was thinking about what Celebi had told us, about how if we found the locations of the Time Gears and then went to the past, we could stop Temporal Tower from collapsing and Dialga going nuts. Doing so would make it so that the world wouldn't become paralyzed.

After we had found out about this, we had decided that we would set off in the morning to find out where all the Time Gears were located and then come back to get Celebi to take us to the past.

As I stared into the fire, I couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Changing the past to make a brighter future sounds like a hard thing to do, but the right thing none the less...but...something about this...didn't feel right. I could even see it in Celebi, whose voice had shook a little when she had told us about the plan. Was there something that she didn't tell us that would happen if we did this?

The human was leaning on me a little, her head on my shoulder. I thought she was asleep until she suddenly spoke up, _"It's funny. I always felt that my ability, this 'Dimensional Scream', would be of help to somebody. And it turns out we can change the world."_

She paused. _"When I was younger, all I wanted to do...was become a trainer. My Mom once told me that humans and Pokemon used to co-exist together in harmony. Trainers would catch Pokemon in pokeballs and battle other Pokemon Trainers. I always wanted a Pikachu...or maybe even a Cyndaquil. There was a Pokemon that I used to play with before Dusknoir attacked. I wonder what happened to it._

She paused once more. _"But some people might have considered that Pokemon were...their tools. Like with the two of us..."_

I turned my head a little, frankly disgusted with the idea. As if I would be a tool to anybody! How dare she suggest that! But then she continued.

_"But...I don't think that way. Like with the two of us...I see us more as close friends...as partners..."_

My disgust faded as I watched her. Her eyes closed and for a second, I thought I saw her body shake. Was she...crying? Why?

_"You're a very good friend to me, Grovyle. The only friend I've ever had. You mean a lot to me."_

As she slowly started to fall asleep, she muttered something odd under her breath as a tear slipped down her cheek.

_"I don't...I don't want to die, Grovyle."_

* * *

I should of known. Changing the past would change the future. It will be a different future.

...We won't exist anymore.

...How could I have missed that?

Celebi knew.

She knew.

...What do I do? Should I back out now?

...I don't want to die either. But...

If...if it's to make Pokemon like Dusknoir lose their power over the inhabitants and make a brighter future...

Then I'm willing to sacrifice myself for that, just like Celebi and...my partner.

* * *

_"That's it! Here! A Time Gear is here!"_

She bent down, examining the Groudon statue as we looked around the garden. There was a dense fog surrounding us that made it hard to see.

_"The vision said that this statue was the key to reaching the Time Gear...but how? And what's with this fog?"_

I looked around and noticed a small gem on the ground. Looking at the statue, I noticed a hole in its chest that the gem could fit into. I pulled on her pants leg, gesturing from the gem to the statue. She looked back and forth before putting two and two together.

_"I see! Place the Drought Stone in Groudon's heart. That lifts the fog!"_

She held a hand out to me for a high five. _"Very well done! Good job, partner!"_

I smiled a little as I exchanged a high five with her, sadly knowing that these precious moments wouldn't last for very long.

* * *

"Do you ever think we should just...give up?" I asked her once. I was starting to have doubts about this mission of ours. She seemed to have understood what I was asking, for she looked sad for a moment before suddenly pumping a fist up, a determined gleam in her eye.

_"Of course not! I thought we couldn't afford to give up. Give up on ourselves...and we give up the future." _she whispered more to herself than to me.

But I still heard it anyway. And somehow it became my resolve as well.

* * *

Damn! How did Dusknoir find out about our plan!? Damn it!

I cursed out every legendary Pokemon I could as we ran through the forest to where Celebi was waiting for us. I could hear the Sableye's cackles as they thought they were catching up to us. I kept my grip on her hand as me and my partner ran, so that I wouldn't lose her and that she wouldn't fall behind. I could hear her wheezing mixed in with the laughing Sableye.

We soon came upon Celebi, who was standing next to a swirling portal, the Passage of Time, her eyes wide with fear as well.

_"Quick! You need to leave now, my dear Grovyle!"_

I looked to my human, seeing if she was ready to do this. She took a shaky breath before nodding. Her hand held on to mine with a death-like grip as we braced ourselves. Just then, we heard an inhuman roar that shook my very bones.

_"Now!" _Celebi screeched. _"I'll slow them down!"_

We both took a deep breath and ran into the swirling vortex. I looked back and watched Celebi and the Sableye disappear from view. I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank Ho-oh, we made it...

It was a little too late when I noticed a dark shadow on my left.

_"Look out!"_

I turned as a strange malevolent energy came straight toward me, intending to kill me. I braced myself, eyes half-shut just as another shape suddenly moved in front of me. It was her, with her arms outstretched, defending me from the oncoming attack.

"Don't!" I shouted, but my shouts were ignored. She looked back at me, a small smile on her face.

_"Friends...friends protect each other...right partner?" _she asked just as the attack slammed into her body.

* * *

As I went about in the past stealing the Time Gears to fix Temporal Tower, I kept praying for some word from her.

I just wanted to know that she was ok. That's all I needed to be happy.

But I still felt so...useless. She had protected me _twice_ and I had not done anything yet to repay the favor.

Hopefully, I would be able to find her and be of help to her this time around...

If only those stupid guild members wouldn't meddle into our affairs...

* * *

Damn. Damn it all to hell!

I curse all the legendary Pokemon once again as I glare at the Pokemon in the square where I'm currently tied up. Dusknoir had followed me into the past and had tricked the Pokemon of the past into thinking I was a criminal. As he continued to lie to the people, I found my eyes watching a Pikachu in the crowd. It was standing next to a Cyndaquil, and the two were staring at me with interest. But for some reason, the Pikachu looked...sad. Its eyes felt somewhat familiar...

I suddenly felt the need to clear my name. I started struggling against the ropes and the gag that bound me, but it didn't work. I kept struggling even after Dusknoir's minions had grabbed me and pulled me into the Passage of Time.

But...somehow...I felt secure in the knowledge that my partner was in the past and would continue our mission, even if I couldn't be of any help.

...I felt a little sad too that I had failed her.

Again.

* * *

Well this is a surprise. Dusknoir dragged the Cyndaquil and the Pikachu with us. I wonder what they did to piss him off.

Not like it matters to me. They have nothing to with me, even if they are sticking with me for the time being. I just need to get back to the past and go back to our mission...back to her, where she must be looking for me.

Don't worry...I'll be there soon...

* * *

Damn Dusknoir and his minions following us. And I lead them straight to Celebi. She may have said that apologies weren't needed, but I could tell she was a tad bit upset with me.

And he brought Primal Dialga with him. Oh this is fantastic. Just bloody fantastic.

Great...we're all going to die. And that Pikachu and Cyndaquil didn't even do anything. I could feel Celebi's sad gaze on me.

"It's hopeless...Dusknoir on his own is one thing...But we don't stand a chance against Dialga." I informed the two unfortunate Pokemon that got dragged into this mess. "You two have kept up so well...I'm sorry to let you down. This is where it ends."

The Cyndaquil sputtered as I stepped forward, head hung in defeat. "I surrender Dusknoir. Do with me...as you will."

As the others gasp and Celebi whispered _"My d-d-dear Grovyle!"_, I think about her...my partner. I'm glad she's not here to witness me being so...weak. Giving up. While she's still in the past fighting so hard for the future and for us...

As Dusknoir smirked in triumph, I looked up, a small smirk of my own on my face as well. "Yes, I am giving up. But hope is still alive. Celebi...you remember. That last time...when I traveled back in time to prevent the planet's paralysis...I wasn't alone. There was another."

"What? You didn't come to our world alone?" the Cyndaquil asked.

"That's right. I had a partner. We headed to the past together. But when we were going through the Passage of Time...we had trouble."

I swallow a little uncomfortably, trying to push the memory of her sacrifice and protection and my worry that she had died to the side.

"We became separated. My partner should still be back in the world of the past. Even if I am eliminated...my partner will see our mission through to the end. My partner will prevent the planet's paralysis."

Quite suddenly, Dusknoir started to laugh. It was high and cold enough to send chills down my spine.

"Whats...what's so funny?" I demanded.

"So you claim someone went to the past with you...incidentally, what was the name of your partner? Go on, say the name."

I raised an eyebrow. What did that have to do with anything? "Why ask such a thing?"

"Can't tell me?" he taunted.

"No, that's not true. My partner's name is..."

_My best friend. _

_Who I...really...cared for..._

"What!?"

I turned around as the Pikachu and the Cyndaquil were staring at me with their mouth agape. "But...but she's right here!" the Cyndaquil said, gesturing to the Pikachu.

My eyes went wide. What are they talking about? "No, that can't be. My partner isn't a Pokemon. She is a human."

Dusknoir suddenly started laughing again. "My good fellow! Grovyle, that is unmistakably your best friend, standing right there behind you!"

"What!?" I turned back around to face the Pikachu. There's no way...no way this could be...

"That Pokemon you see was once a human!"

My eyes connected with the Pikachu's for a second. There was something...familiar...

As Dusknoir explained how he had found this information out, an old memory came to surface.

_"...I always wanted a Pikachu..."_

"Your partner developing amnesia was a lucky stroke for me! Otherwise she would of recognized me. It was quite easy to win over your partner's trust. You were the last loose end. But now that you're both here...everything will end when we finally dispose of you two..."

He was right. Now that she was here...there was no chance of saving the future. It was time to give up.

However, the Cyndaquil had other ideas as it suggested for Celebi to time travel close enough to the Passage of Time. The plan was executed successfully and we managed to jump into the past once more. As we were pulled through time, I glanced at the Pikachu.

Dusknoir said that she had amnesia...

...How much had she forgotten?

* * *

We woke up on a sandy beach. I listened to Cyndaquil as he told me about how he had met the Pikachu on that very beach. Funny...I had ended up in Eastern Forest...we had been torn apart from each other by quite the far distance.

I wondered how much of that distance has grown between us as the Cyndaquil took us to Sharpedo bluff to hide out for the moment.

Later, I told the two of them about the future..._our _future. I was hoping that it would bring back her memories of the two of us. I was jealous that the Cyndaquil had developed a bond with her and that she had trusted him right from the beginning. When we came to the part of the Dimensional Scream, I spoke of how it only worked when it was connected to Time Gears. But they countered that it sometimes worked when it wasn't connected to the Time Gears. It made me think a little about all the times she said she had a vision...

When we first met...maybe the vision has occured because it was destined for the two of us to become partners.

Before we had met...she mentioned that there used to be a Pokemon she played with before Dusknoir's attack...maybe she had trusted in it...

Meeting Celebi...Celebi would be the one to give the mission for the restoration of the planet.

But...

_"I don't...I don't want to die, Grovyle."_

Did she know about our fate from Celebi's explanation, or had she actually foreseen it?

The Pikachu was looking skeptical as I turned to her. "You may not remember any of this, but...you were my closest friend. I worried about you constantly when we were separated. I'm glad...to see that you're safe. Your appearance may have changed and though you have lost your memory..."

I paused for a second. I didn't want to sound too desperate in hoping that she remembered something, _anything_ about our friendship.

"You're still you. And none of this alters the fact that you remain my friend...I'm so glad to see you again."

I watched and waited for something. But she just blinked and didn't say anything. It seemed that her memory was lost...maybe forever.

As we turned in for the night with a new plan to get back the Time Gears, I watched her fall asleep.

I wonder what she was thinking that night as all that information had been given to her.

She must have been very confused.

Somehow, as I fell asleep, I felt like I had failed her once again.

Later that night, I woke up to discover her new friend Cyndaquil was missing. When I came outside, it was standing on the cliff, looking out over the ocean.

I asked it if it was thinking about Dusknoir; apparently the little guy had held a lot of respect for this guy, so it must of crushed him when it turned out Dusknoir had deceived him.

But as it turns out, he was thinking of her...just like I had been.

We watched the sunrise together. I remembered the euphoria I had felt when I had seen the sun for the first time. And how seeing it had made me strengthen my resolve to change the future so that the world didn't fall into the darkness.

I turned to Cyndaquil. "So, I have a question for you. When we were confronted by Dialga...why didn't you give up?"

"I...I don't know. But...maybe it was because...because she stood by me."

He slowly began to tell me the story of his "Relic Fragment" and how she had given him the courage to join the guild so that he could one day solve the mystery of his treasure. "She was always there to cheer me up. With her, I felt that I could overcome any challenge. That's how I came to feel over time. Maybe that's why I was able to keep going without giving up!"

I understood that feeling. I remember how I started to doubt myself and how she had somehow pushed me on, despite our eventual fate.

"Yes...she has a special ability that makes others feel that way. The same way that I care for her as a friend...you...you also feel that way about her."

The Cyndaquil looked away as I looked at the ground. Memories of...my failures as a partner to her came to mind.

"She is...lucky...to be blessed with a friend like you."

I looked away for a second to rub my eyes.

"Well, it's morning. We should go see if she's awake."

* * *

And so, we set off to collect Time Gears. At some point, we even recruited the help of their old guild.

And soon, we were at Temporal Tower. Unfortunately, Dusknoir has once again chased us to the past and we were forced to fight against him and his goons. But somehow...somehow...we were victorious.

But Dusknoir had a dirty trick, trying to attack us using the mouth on his stomach. Luckily, she had the idea to force our combined moves down his stomach. I have to give her praise...that sounded like the kind of idea that she might of came up with before she had changed. No, excuse me, she hadn't changed...not really.

I sent the Cyndaquil away to check to see if the Rainbow Stoneship was actually working.

This was it. We would finally change history...

But...

"Is this really what you want? If you change history...we Pokemon of the future will disappear." Dusknoir suddenly spoke from where he was laying on the ground.

I glanced at her. Of course...she had lost her memory...she would of forgotten our fate...

She looked to me, a pleading look in her eyes. I sighed.

"...It's true. If we change history...we will disappear."

I turned away; I just couldn't face her. "But...that doesn't matter. If it means restoring time...And bringing peace to the world! It's what I came to the past to do..."

I thought of Celebi for a moment. She never truly acknowledged her feelings aloud for me. "And Celebi...she helped us, knowing that she will disappear if we succeed."

I turned back to her. "And...you came with that same resolve. We came from the future fully accepting what would happen to us. But...the way you are now...you don't remember that resolve."

_"Give up on ourselves...and we give up the future."_

"I know this is coming as a great shock to you. But...we have no choice in the matter either way. If we don't act, time will be destroyed. The planet's paralysis will begin. To bring peace to this world...we have to disappear."

Disappear...technically, we'll be dying, but...she doesn't need to know that...not now...

"Try to understand...please..."

She looked away, staring off toward where the Rainbow Stoneship was. I bet she was feeling the same as she had when she first found out. Would she give up?

...No. She would want to make a better world...for her new friend...even if it meant saying goodbye to him.

She turned back to me, the same determination I remembered from when I asked her whether we should give up. Oh...

"But...there's just one thing...one thing changed for us by coming to this world. It's true that we had the resolve to complete our mission. That was true when we first came back to this world...But we had absolutely nothing to lose...and nothing to go back to..."

_Except each other..._

"But now...this changed for you when you became a Pokemon. You found a friend and partner in that Cyndaquil. He looks up to you. If your partner found out that you might disappear...I'm sure that he'll be crushed. He has a good spirit. But...if the future is altered and you disappear...your partner will...he will be...left all alone."

She looked down at the ground, a sad expression on her face. I thought I saw a tear go down one of her cheeks.

...I'm sorry to have to tell you that...but that's the truth. The horrible, painful truth.

I feel the same here...but it's because I'll be losing you...

A sound suddenly came from nearby. I moved past the fallen Dusknoir and her. It seems the Rainbow Stoneship was activated.

It will all end soon...

Suddenly, Dusknoir got up and roared with rage as he knocked her away. She crumbled to the ground, looking up at the now risen Dusknoir.

"You will never change the future!"

She screamed as he launched his attack, and in that split second, I knew what I had to do. I ran in front of her, arms outstretched as I took the attack.

Well...it hurt like hell, that's for sure.

She looked up at me from where she was laying on the ground. I couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Friends are supposed to protect each other, right partner?"

Her eyes suddenly went wide, too big for her now small head as if my words had triggered something in her mind. I collapsed on the ground in pain and exhaustion from the attack. Dusknoir laughed from where he loomed over me.

"So you shielded her from the attack. That's taken a heavy toll on you! Very well, you're going down first!"

I looked back at her from where she was shakily standing up. As I did the same, I looked past Dusknoir to where the portal back to the future was. I had an idea...there was one way to stop him.

I grunted as I charged at him, trying to shove him into the portal. He looked shocked as he tried to struggle out of my grip.

"What-what are you doing!?"

"Urrgh...Dusknoir! I'm...I'm taking you with me! We're going back to the future!" I shouted in determination.

I tossed the Time Gears behind me as I looked back at her. "It's up to you now!"

Cyndaquil suddenly reappeared, looking chipper as he announced that the Rainbow Stoneship was ready. But his cheerful expression quickly turned to shock as he stood next to her. "What's happening?" he asked.

"...This is it for me. I'm taking Dusknoir...back to the future! I can never come back here again."

He recoiled as I continued, gesturing to the Pikachu. "Watch her back...Promise me!"

I had to make sure that she was in good hands before I did this...I had to...

"B-but? Take your place, Grovyle...? I...I can't!" the Cyndaquil started crying.

The thought was disheartening. Yes, he was taking my place...but it had to be done. She couldn't remember me or our friendship. But she trusted him. He had to...

"You must and you will. Because you can. You two are...the greatest of combinations."

Yes...he made a better partner than I did.

I ignored Dusknoir's cries for release as I turned to her. "I was lucky...to have known you. Though the parting hurts...the rest is in your hands!"

"...Grovyle." she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears.

It was painful...she was sad for losing a friend that she barely remembered...and I was losing a friend that I had cherished so deeply...

But I say these words not for the pain I am feeling for losing her...but for the pain she will feel when she loses her new partner...

I released a breath I hadn't noticed I had been holding as I pushed Dusknoir into the portal. As the scenery disappeared behind us and someone (her?) shouted my name, I thought about my sacrifice I had made...

...

I hope this makes it up to you for my failures as a partner and all the times you protected me...

* * *

I heard once last thing before I completely disappeared into the future. It was the Cyndaquil...

_"Wait for us in the future, Grovyle! We'll stop the planet's paralysis...we'll change the future into a better world. A world in which Grovyle can live happily! We won't fail!"_

As I listen to these words, I suddenly notice that I haven't arrived in the future. I appear to be falling through the darkness. My memories of her, of our friendship begin to surface once again like it had taken a habit of doing...

_She removed her arms from around from when she had pulled me out of the line of the Sableye's attack...__"I've never seen a Grovyle before. My Mom mentioned them once before, but this is my first time actually seeing one."_

_She seemed to lean forward a little, as if examining me...__"And...I have to say, you're kind of cute."_

_She straightened up as she started to walk away...__"Don't try to get into trouble again, ok?" she turned back to wave._

_She stared at me before offering a hand out to me as she gestured to the path ahead of her...__"Do you want to come with me? We could travel together if you want..."_

_She pulled out two apples from her bag...__"Would you like one, Grovyle?"_

_She leaned forward, a sad smile on her lips...__"Hey Grovyle, do you want to know a secret? The day we met, I had a vision of you getting attacked by those Sableye. When I saw it, I knew that this time, I had to act. I have the feeling that somehow, me and you were supposed to meet that day, otherwise I wouldn't of had that vision."_

_"I'm a firm believer of destiny. Things happen for a reason. I think me being born with this gift and our meeting happened because it was intended to happen." _Did you believe it was intended for you to die?

_She giggled as Celebi hugged me..."Looks like someone has a crush on you, Grovyle-" _...How did you feel about that?

_We were leaning against each other in front of a fire as she talked..._

_"It's funny. I always felt that my ability, this 'Dimensional Scream', would be of help to somebody. And it turns out we can change the world."_

_"When I was younger, all I wanted to do...was become a trainer. My Mom once told me that humans and Pokemon used to co-exist together in harmony. I always wanted a Pikachu...or maybe even a Cyndaquil."_

_"I see us more as close friends...as partners...You're a very good friend to me, Grovyle. The only friend I've ever had. You mean a lot to me." _If only I could of deeply told you the same...

_"I don't...I don't want to die, Grovyle." _I don't want to either.

_"I see! Place the Drought Stone in Groudon's heart. That lifts the fog!" Her hand hovers in my face as she waits for a high five._ _"Very well done! Good job, partner!" she says as we exchange high fives. _

_"I thought we couldn't afford to give up. Give up on ourselves...and we give up the future." she says in response to my doubts. _

_She stands in front of my, arms outstretched as she smiles back at me. "Friends...friends protect each other...right partner?" she asked just as the attack slammed into her body._

All these memories...they seem to disappear from my grasp when they're finished. I feel like I'm falling through water, slowly sinking into the abyss. I vaguely wonder what happened to Dusknoir...but it probably doesn't matter.

She may have forgotten me, but I will always remember her and our friendship. Even if I have to take these memories with me to the grave.

My body seems to suddenly glow an odd light. It's not bright, but it's not dim either. I watch with vague curiosity as my body starts to break away and fade into tiny glowing pieces. I guess this is what it's like to fade from existence. No pain...

Cyndaquil...I'm afraid I can't wait for you two. My time is up. I know you'll make a better future.

I just won't be a part of it.

My old future was with her.

A world in which I can live happily? That would be nice...a world of day where the two of us can live happily ever after and that she remembers our friendship instead of having amnesia. The happy ending that we're supposed to get for all our hard work and sacrifice for others happiness.

...If we do get second chances at the new future, maybe we'll meet again...

If that day comes...

Wait for me...partner.


End file.
